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ANDREA GILBEY
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NAME: Andrea Gilbey B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Phil., Ph.D. |
POSITION: Post Doctoral Scientist |
Following her graduation from her B.Sc. (Hons.) Microbiology from Leicester University in 1996 Andrea undertook an M. Phil. in Molecular and Cellular Immunology and Oncology at the University of Birmingham and has recently completed a Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of Warwick.
During her M. Phil at Birmingham University Andrea undertook two six month research projects. The first project investigated the expression of an alternative CD40L on the surface of various epithelial carcinoma cell lines and the second project examined the effect of survival, differentiation and apoptosis upon cross-linking sIgM, CD40 and various cell surface markers on a human Burkitt Lymphoma cell line as a model for germinal centre B-cells. Following the completion of her M.Phil. Andrea subsequently undertook and completed a Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of Warwick in 2002 investigating the effect of penicillin resistance upon the synthesis of bacterial peptidoglycan and biological fitness in various isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
During the projects undertaken throughout her research career to date, Andrea has become experienced in many different molecular and cellular techniques including gel filtration, monoQ anion exchange, electrospray mass spectrometry, mass spectrometric fragmentation, DNA sequencing, gene cloning, protein expression and purification, western blotting, FACS analysis, H3-thymidine incorporation and MTT assays, RT-PCR, southern blotting, genetic transformation and immunohistochemistry.
Upon completion of her Ph.D. Andrea has recently undertaken a position as a University of Sheffield TCS associate working within Micropathology Ltd. Andrea is investigating the detection of circulating cancer cells in the blood of breast cancer patients, a project which will draw upon the knowledge and expertise within Micropathology Ltd in qualitative and quantitative methods currently in practice within the company for the detection of low copy numbers of target sequence. As a direct result of her work Andrea aims to develop and establish a routine diagnostic test at Micropathology Ltd to detect circulating tumour cells which can be offered to breast cancer patients to determine if they are at risk of the disease reoccurring or metastasising.